2009 Family Pics

I LOVE having photographers in the family! Carter's sister Lynette took family pictures for us this Fall, which I just loved. I have a link to her photography blog if you want to learn more about her work. So I made a slideshow to share some of my favorites...

No family blog would be complete without the yearly shots from the pumpkin patch and our adorable trick-or-treaters.
Kyler and Shaylie had a ball in the haybail maze, along with their friends from preschool.


Brennan didn't love the maze as much. He couldn't keep up with the bigger kids and soon I heard him calling, "Mom! I lost!"

All of us on the hayride. We had a terrific time. It was really windy, as you can see, so no cracks about the crazy hair!

Bubba's perfect pumpkin.

As I was paying for the pumpkins at the end of the day, I looked down and noticed Brennan sampling one of the Indian corn cobs from the pretty decorations. I don't think it was as yummy as he'd hoped.

Brennan as "SpiderCan." (That's what he called himself. He talks really well, but for some reason he got mixed up when I sang him the song...you know - Spiderman, Spiderman, Does whatever a spider can!")



Shaylie, working the Hula,Hula..



My adorable werewolf, Kyler. He was quite offended when someone said he was a cool lion. "Didn't he notice my teeth?" he asked.



Makenna, too sweet to be a mean witch.



Jayden as Legolas. I finally gave in and let Carter show him the Lord of the Rings movies this year, and Jayden is hooked, just like his dad. From this angle you can't see his cool quiver and arrows. Notice the pointy ears, too. Thanks, Oscar, for letting Jayden borrow your stuff.



And finally, Carter and I went to a Halloween party as Miss America and Runner Up. I didn't get a great picture, but it was pretty funny. See the mascarra dripping down Carter's face?

The Great Sugar Caper

The pictures say it all...

Election Day!

Here is your friendly reminder that today is Election Day! I figured all you Google Reader people might at least get this in time to go vote. Polls are open until 8pm.
In our town we are voting on a new mayor, two city council seats, and an important bond issue for a new jail. In these small, in-between elections every vote really counts! I hope we will all exercise this precious right.

Happy Voting!

Still Alive

I am so far behind in blogging the events of our lives. But I had a minute this evening and I thought just for fun I'd post a random bunch of fun pictures of our crew just to show that we are still alive. I'll get caught up eventually. It's on my list. But meanwhile, these are the faces that make my world go round...













Darth Jayden

Goin' On a Bear Hunt!

I'm not s-s-s-scared!

Carter was excited to draw a bear tag in a cool area this year. He had offers to go out with several guys he knows who run bear dogs as a hobby. He invited me to go along (or did I ask if I could come?) Anyway, what a neat experience! This is how it works...When we reach the hunting area, they bring their dogs up to ride on the top of the truck. They are belted in nice and safe. Then they drive slowly down the road until the dogs catch bear scent and start barking. They release one dog to take off and see if it's a good trail. If it's not, the dog comes back, but if it takes off howling, they release the pack. They all crash through the forest following the bear - sometimes for miles, until the bear finally climbs a tree. The dogs keep it treed by making the loudest racket you've ever heard. We follow the GPS radar things in their collars (and the noise). When we arrived we took lots of pictures and watched the bear a while. It wasn't huge, but it was beautiful, and it's sure something you don't get to see everyday. It was fun watching the dogs work, too. You could tell they just lived for this. They were amazing! Carter went out the next week again and took the Teachers Quorum for an activity, and Jayden got to tag along on that trip. Carter had no intentions of actually shooting a bear (unless they treed a monster, I suppose) but we had some neat adventures just watching them.

4th of July

Before I change the patriotic background I suppose I ought to blog our holiday. Now, I'm sure that my little travel log of our 4th of July weekend can't possibly be terribly interesting to most of the world, especially a month after the fact. But for the sake of our own memories I'm blogging it.

Carter had July 3rd off work (Yipee!) so we decided to check out Eagle Island State Park. We'd never been there before, but we'd heard it was a nice place to play and swim. We loved it! There was a big playset, a waterslide although we didn't go on it, lots of grass and trees, and a nice beachy area along the river. It is not the Caribbean, but if you lay in the sand and close your eyes you can pretend.


These are the kinds of moments I hope they remember...








So, with sun and sand - and lots of junkfood, we had one terrific day!

On Saturday, the 4th of July we decided we'd head over to Melba for the festivities. This was a first for us, and I think we will make it our new tradition. Carter joked when I said I wanted to go to the parade in Melba that we'd see nothing but horses, tractors, and FFA floats. Well, we saw lots of horses, tractors, and FFA floats, and it was great. I guess I'm a small-town girl at heart, but I think this is what America is all about.





On this float rode veterans of WWII and Korea. Oh, the stories they could tell...

Now, it wasn't ALL farmers. There were also classic cars and pretty girls. At the end of the parade Jayden nudged me and pointed out Miss Idaho, who had just joined her family after riding in the parade. I tried to get him to ask her for a picture, but there was NO Way. Makenna and Shaylie really wanted a picture with a real, live beauty queen and she sweetly obliged. Sorry, I don't remember her name. Maybe Jayden does.



After the parade we enjoyed strolling around craft booths and games for the kids. We ran into several friends and even our cousins, the Breshears! The kids got to ride a tractor/train together.
That evening we had a BBQ with Grandma and Grandpa Robinson and we made homemade ice cream. Yum! We played with a few little fireworks and then we drove back to Melba to see the real show. The day reminded me how blessed we are to be members of our beloved family and this great nation.

Makenna's Baptism Day

What a wonderful day, made even more special by all the family who shared it.

Makenna's cousin Kylie from Arizona just turned eight also. They travelled to Idaho and we were able to arrange to have them baptized together. What a fun memory for both girls! And as it turned out, they were the only children in our stake being baptized in June. It turned into our own family baptism after all. They were blessed to have in attendance Kylie's Abbott grandparents, Andrews grandparents, Robinson grandparents, and Grandpa Mawson, as well as loads of aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. We had a BBQ afterward so we could all visit and play. We really are blessed with the best family in the world.

Makenna, you put lots of thought into preparing for baptism. You have a good understanding of the gospel and a desire to follow our Savior's footsteps. I know He is proud of you, and I am so proud of you, too. Love ya, Missy!

Father's Day '09

"Brethren, noble fatherhood gives us a glimpse of the divine attributes of our Father in Heaven. A father should be many things. He should magnify his priesthood and be an example of righteousness. In companionship with his wife, he should be the source of stability and strength for the whole family. He should be the protector and the provider and the champion of the members of his family. Much of his love for his children should flow from his example of love, concern, and fidelity for their mother. By his uncompromising example he should instill character into his children." President James E. Faust

I searched and searched to find a quote that seemed to sum up our dad. This one came closest, although it still doesn't say it all. No man on earth is perfect, but Carter does his best to be all these things and more. I congratulate myself regularly for choosing such a wonderful daddy for my children. Our children are blessed with a dad who gets goofy and plays with them, who makes work fun but who still teaches them to work, who encourages them to be their best selves, who sets an example of steadiness, patience, and diligence. No children ever worshiped their father more - they all come running when they hear his truck nearing home in the evening.



Carter chasing the children with a dead mouse. No childhood would be complete without memories like this.


Jayden lives for his special hunting time with Dad. He would trudge through every frozen marsh in Idaho just to be with him.



Such a sweet moment.


Did I mention we used to have seven children? (J.K.) I didn't say he has perfect judgment... like letting them play on the roof, or taking them bear hunting. But the kids sure think he's cool. And, actually, no one has died yet.




Carter, you are our favorite daddy in the whole, wide world. We love you! Happy Father's Day!







_________________________________________________

I just want to tack on a little note because I didn't want to make a new post for this quick comment. I'm sorry if the blog has been a bit dull lately since I have been busy and haven't kept it very current. We have so many things I need to catch up on...Makenna turned eight and was baptized! Brennan also had a birthday, and I have been in the habit of making a little slide show dedicated to each child at their birthday. They look forward to it now so I need to get on it. Also lots of hunting, sports, and family happenings. But I am also working on some changes I want to make to the blog. In addition to keeping a record of our events and highlights, I've been feeling like I want to create something more. Something that is more of an expression of me, my thoughts, and my family. Anyway, bear with me as I try to catch up and move along.

FLAT MAKENNA

Makenna's second grade class did a Flat Stanley project this spring. Makenna made a cute little drawing of herself and she was excited to send it to her Uncle Michael and Aunt Camille. They are living in Dubai, in United Arab Emerates. Michael is an engineer, and he and Camille are having incredible adventures over there. They went above and beyond the call of duty and took some amazing pictures for Makenna's project. She was so excited about it I made the pictures into a neat little book for her, but I thought it would be fun to share a few of them here on the blog.



Dubai has built these man-made islands out into the Persian Gulf shaped like palm trees and loaded them with luxury hotels, businesses, and housing. This is the Atlantis Hotel on the Jumeria Palm.



A mosque in Satwa.



This is a real live ski slope, complete with ski lift and real snow, inside a shopping mall. How cool is that!!



This is the Dubai Marina, taken from Michael and Camille's building. How's that for a home neighborbood.



This is Burj Dubai - the world's tallest building! You can hardly see the top through the haze.


This part of the Dubai Mall is called the gold souk, chalk full of jewelry.


The Dubai Marina and Promenade, with the yacht club in the background.


And next we have grazing camels. Not something you see everyday...





Flat Makenna made friends with their gorgeous Kitty.
And finally, here is Flat Makenna catching her flight home.


Thank you again, Camille and Michael, for the awesome pictures. And let me know if I botched up any info on these shots.

Fieldtrip to the Animal Doctor

Carter frequently has school groups and scout groups, etc requesting to come to the clinic for a little tour. He always enjoys showing them what he does, and the kids love it. It seems like every kid thinks they want to be a veterinarian at some point in their growing up years - I know I did. I realized that even though our own kids have spent quite a bit of time at the clinic, they probably don't know a lot of what Dad does, or what lots of the equipment is for. So I asked Carter if he would mind giving our little preschool co-op group a tour. He said to come on down.


First we checked out an exam room and talked about what kinds of pets everyone has at home, and discussed how animals sometimes get sick, just like we do. Entering the surgery room Carter had the children put on surgery caps, which they thought was a hoot. A tech had set up the room for a mock procedure so they could see all the instruments and stuff. Carter showed them the laser and he burned each of their names into a tongue depressor.





Kyler was so proud when he diagnosed a broken leg on an x-ray. I did manage to recognize a litter of unborn puppies, but for the most part I am mystified at how they can pick up such crucial, minute details from those cryptic pictures. Next, they had prepared a series of microscopes for us which were focused on some interesting critters - a louse, a flea, and a tick. The kids looked and looked again. They couldn't get enough.



Their favorite part was probably just petting the puppies and kitties. The kids got to watch a dog having a bath and also see the groomer in action, which was cute. And they pretended to be big dogs and sat in the boarding kennels. It was sweet how concerned the children were to see the critters with bandages and "owies." Thank you to the wonderful staff for being patient with us and preparing such neat things to see, and thank you to the hot doctor who showed us around. I think all the children loved it, and Kyler and Shaylie were proud of their cool dad.

My Great Brains

I'm definitely NOT referring to my own "great brains." But Jayden and Makenna both elected to participate in the Great Brain Project at their school this spring. They each had to research a topic of their choosing, then present what they learned in some creative way. Jayden chose to study Sasquatch, (because who doesn't need to know a little more about that?!) Makenna chose koala bears, because they are cute. They had to present it first to their own classes and then in an assembly-of-sorts in the school library before the other kids and their parents. They both did beautifully and I was so proud of all their hard work, so I wanted to showcase their projects.


Jayden had Carter help him make a plaster mold of a "Big Foot" which was kind of fun, and he downloaded some recordings of "actual" Sasquatch screams, which was hillarious!


Makenna shared what she learned by writing a couple adorable poems about Koalas.

Kyler and Shaylie also felt the need to get in on the action and they made their own projects. They cut their favorite animal pictures from Ranger Rick Magazines. Shaylie's is about butterflies.

Stitching Up Brennan

Last week Shaylie and Brennan were running laps in the house while I clipped coupons (My new hobby...) when I heard, "Tag! You're it!" Crash!! Followed by screams. I hurried over to find poor Brennan holding a cut on his head. As soon as I had him cleaned up enough to get a good look at it I knew he needed stitches. I loaded up the van and we took a trip to see Dr. Dad. Brennan was remarkably unphased by the whole thing. Once he got over the initial bonk, he happily rode in the van and munched on a snack. I couldn't believe it. He calmly explained to Daddy that he bonked his head. Carter agreed that sutures were in order. The nice tecnicians came running in with little toys and a sucker, but I can't say they helped much. This part was awful. After he was numb, I had the horrible task of holding my sweet baby still for the procedure. Poor Carter had the even worse job of stitching him up. I could tell it was hard for him. These pictures were taken right afterwards.









The good news is that it has healed up beautifully and the stitches can come out probably tomorrow. I think I'll snap one more picture to add to this post of the stitches as they look now. Thank goodness for Dr. Dad and Diego band-aids!

Spring is in the Air

....And the birds are in the grill!

So a few weeks ago we spent a weekend up at the cabin watching General Conference with the family. When we came home we discovered that a pair of birds had decided to build a nest in our BBQ grill! I couldn't believe it. And at first I was adamant that they had to go. I opened up the grill and was planning to toss all the grass and garbage out, but I didn't quite have the heart. Then I got a better look at the birds and noticed that one of them has a broken foot. The poor guy hobbles and hops on one twisted leg. Well, there went my resolve. Needless to say, a bird family lives in our grill. It was so amazing how hard they worked - they must have made thousands of trips back and forth carrying more stuff for the nest. The children have really enjoyed watching the birds (so has the cat) and they have completely stayed away from the grill so they don't frighten them (the cat, not so much. She is banished from the back deck).



I don't think they have laid any eggs yet. We've been afraid to peek for a week or so. And if any bird experts out there know what kind of birds we've got (you can click on the picture to see it enlarged) please let me know. Specifically, what their nesting habits are and how soon we might get our grill back. And Carter says "Do your part; save the birds...invite us over for BBQ."

Happy Easter!

We hope everyone had a terrific Easter holiday! We hunted eggs with the Andrews cousins and with Loughney cousins, and we hunted eggs in our jammies Easter morning.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Here are a couple pictures that wouldn't fit in the slide show, but I liked them!

Nearly Two (Buckle Our Seatbelts!)

My first two boys were the epitome of easy-going and mellow babies. My two girls were not, but that is another story. From the beginning Brennan has been determined to make his own pattern. He has been a funny combination spunky, snuggly, feisty, and sweet. He already has a terrific sense of humor, and he cracks himself - and us - up constantly. He likes to jump out from behind a door or wait for me in the pantry and then yell, "Boo!" If he gets bored he'll climb under a table and call out "Where Brennan??" He has a goofy game of pretending to be asleep while riding in his carseat, and he giggles when we all pretend to shush each other so he can sleep. He is talking like crazy now, and he has a LOT to say. And when he gets mad...Wow! Watch out! 'Sorry' was one of the first words he learned because he was constantly whacking someone in the head with a toy.

So I shouldn't have been surprised at the new phrases that have just popped up in his vocabulary recently. Such as: "My do it!" "No want to!" and "NOOOOOOO" as he runs full speed away from a diaper change, or shoes, or jacket, or vegetables. I remind myself that independence is an important developmental step, and a good thing. But that doesn't make it easier to deal with. Then he flashes me that impish little grin and I decide it's all worth it.

High-Flying Home Evening

We've had such windy weather lately, we decided that for Family Home Evening we would fly our kites. The kids looked forward to it for several days beforehand. I was secretly worried that the wind would fizzle out on us, but it blustered all evening. As soon as Dad came home from work, we grabbed our kites and headed to the park behind our house.



Unfortunately, all three of our kites broke within the first fifteen minutes. (I guess you get what you pay for when you spend a buck a piece on kites). But Kyler was undaunted. He must have run twenty laps around the park, dragging just a few feet of string and a kite which occasionally bounced up and caught some air.


THAT'S determination!
Eventually the activity turned into a game of family tag on the playground, and that was fun, too.

Wilson Pond

Saturday afternoon the weather was mild and we had some cabin fever, so we packed up some junk food and the kids and went fishing with the Williamsons. We headed to Wilson Ponds, just a few minutes from our house. Unfortunately there was not a fish in sight, but we did some bird watching, ate junk food, and still had a fun time. It was just nice to be out. We felt lucky to get a cool little spot all to ourselves, but now that I think of it, maybe no one wanted to come near the crazy people with nine children. hmmm. Anyway, the older boys tried fishing for a while. The younger kids didn't even want to pose with a fishing pole and the only shots I got of them were climbing trees - or eating.


Cool hat, Parker!


Brennan nabbed four cookies at once!





After a while we switched from fishing to tossing worms to the ducks. Then there was an interesting but R-rated incident with the ducks. It prompted some uncomfortable questions, "Mommy! What are they doing?!" Of course, Oscar got the whole thing on camera. I joked about whether or not to include that on the blog. Oscar said, "Oh, you KNOW it's going on mine!" So, if you are over 17 years old or accompanied by your guardian you may check out Williamsons blog for the details if you are curious. (Unless Vicki found out and unplugged the computer first. ha!ha!)

And then just as we were packing up and I was congratulating myself on keeping all nine kids from falling in the water, Shaylie fell in. She screamed hysterically, naturally, but since the water was only eight inches deep it didn't cause too much panic in the rest of us. She was completely soaked, though. Ah, well.

Grandma's Hungry Ducks

My wonderful mother has been sweet enough to keep my monkeys for me while I take an institute class every Tuesday morning. The kids cheer every time I tell them it is "Grandma Day." Last week I came back in time to tag along with them on one of their walks to feed the ducks. Grandma lives on a beautiful green belt. If I remember right it was 35 degrees that day. But the kids didn't mind, and neither did the ducks.

What shoe are you?

My calling at church right now is Activity Days Leader. Last week we held our special recognition night; our theme was a twist on the scripture in D&C 19:10. It was called "The Worth of 'Soles'." As part of the activity, we set up a display table and invited each girl to bring the pair of shoes they think best describes some part of their personality. There was a little card attached for them to explain. I had to do it, too. I had a hard time, but finally decided on a pair of hiking boots. I wrote, "I chose these shoes because like me, they like to be outdoors (as long as its sunny). And like me, they're not very stylish but they are made to go the distance."

When I came home, Carter had not seen what I brought and I asked him for his opinion of what shoe best describes my personality. He thought for a minute and then said, "Maybe your Uggs? They are warm and comfy, and you like to be warm and comfy." Hmmm. I suppose that's true, but I hope that's not the defining characteristic of me. I was also fairly offended that he picked such a big, sloppy, clunky shoe. "Is that how you see me??" I asked. Poor Carter...I don't know if there would have been a correct answer. He hates it when I ask him stuff like that.

So, just for fun, I'm opening it up to you. If you had to pick a shoe that describes some part of you, what would it be?

Bearack Obama

The photo below captures a trend that is beginning to affect wildlife in the U.S. Anticipating the Obama presidency, animals that were formerly self-sufficient are already modifying their behavior to take advantage of what they expect to be a new set of societal norms in the next four to eight years. This black bear from Montana has ceased hunting for a living and is sitting outside the US Fish & Wildlife Service office in Kalispell, apparently waiting to be fed and to have his winter den dug by government employees. The residents of Kalispell are calling him 'Bearack Obama'. (Thanks, Suzanne, I had to share this!)

Wintery Play Day

Last Saturday we took a chance to get away and have some family adventures. The Winter Festival was going on in McCall, so we drove up there to see what's happnin'. This was our first time making the trek. It was a gorgeous day for playing - clear blue skies and mild temps. Can I just tell you, the ice sculptures were INCREDIBLE! The theme was fantasy so there were sculptures of dragons, castles, wizards, and a really fun one where they re-created CandyLand! It had a candy cane forest, lollypop land, bridges, paths, and slides. Amazing. Here are some of my favorite pictures, although I didn't do the sculptures justice since it is hard to photograph snow.

Jayden taking a pit-stop:)


Carter putting in a day at the mine.


This sculpture won first place. Beside the dragon was a big castle, complete with a dungeon underneath, a king and queen on their thrones, turrets, and a tunnel and a slide!


The girls are standing in front of my favorite one, although it is hard to appreciate how cool it is from my pictures. There was this enchanted forest, with faces on all the trees, and layers of detail carved inside, like walls and doors, and sitting atop the forest rose a beautiful castle.







I know this post is getting long, but I can't forget the second half of the day, when we went ice-fishing at Horsethief Res. It was such a pretty lake, we agreed that we have to come back here in the summer, too. Carter has this terrific little ice hut where we set up chairs and stay cozy in between running around like crazy people on the ice. We pulled the kids on sleds, Jayden had a good time shooting this bow and arrow at nothing, oh, and Carter fished. The fishing was a little lame, unfortunately, but the kids were fascinated by Dad's fish-finder and they played with worms and rolled bobbers across the ice. Once poor Brennan stepped in somebody's old hole and soaked one leg. After my heart started again, I kept him much closer, as I could just picture my whole baby slipping down through a hole next time. Ahhh! And note to self - bring dry socks for everyone next time!



Nice air-conditioning in those jeans, Carter!

Duck Hunting Duo

Carter and Jayden were off early this morning on a duck hunting adventure. One of Carter's clients owns a private island on the Snake River and he invited them to hunt with him. They rode out to it on a jet boat (a highlight for Jayden). From their description it sounds like a hunter's paradise. There was a cozy, heated blind and lots of ducks. They were really pretty birds, called GoldenEyes.

Poor Makenna's Faceplant

Makenna slipped on the ice yesterday coming home from school. With her hands in her pockets, she landed on her face, as you can see. She was a bloody mess and nearly hysterical. A bump was raising right before my eyes. It took some work to calm us all down and clean her up. I took this picture this morning, but I should have waited because the blue-black eye is deepening as the day goes on. She was pretty tough, though, once the initial trauma wore off. So my question to any friend out there with medical savvy... should I medicate her shredded cheek with Neosporin and bandage it or leave it alone?

Everyday Happenings

One Sunday my boys decided they all wanted to match. (Actually I guess Kyler decided to copy Jayden so they would all match, but Jayden played along and Brennan wears whatever we put on him. ) Of course I had to take a picture of my little men in kacky pants, white shirts, and bolo ties. Those bolo ties are special, too. The one Jayden is wearing was given to him by a wonderful man in our ward. It has an Indian brave on horseback. Kyler is wearing one with a real scorpion that was Grandpa Mawson's. And Brennan is wearing a wooden/turquoise tie that was my dads.


Every kid has to have a few pictures in the album of himself with food all over his face, just to humble him when he gets big and starts thinking he's hot stuff.

Makenna decided to get a haircut, which I think is absolutely adorable. She may have done it just so I would stop pestering her everyday about pony-tails and braids. She's not a fussy kind of girl, but she sure is beautiful!

This was one of those beautiful moments when a mom sees a glimmer of shining hope. I asked Jayden to rinse and Makenna to load dishes after dinner the other night and I busily hurried on to some other task. When I passed by again, here they were, blaring music on the stereo, chatting together happily, and actually doing a really good job! This rekindling my constant hope that someday my sweet children really will pull their own weight around the house and, even better, actually like each other!